Built in 1830 on the extensive land of the Tilgate Estate south of the small market town of Crawley, it was extended later in the 19th century and converted into a country club.

The conversion of the road to a turnpike in the late 18th century had made both London and the fashionable seaside resort of Brighton much more accessible, and Crawley was the natural stopping-off point during the journey.

[2] Rich families and gentry who needed easy access to London began building estates and mansions in the Crawley area.

[6][7] The main building on the estate was Tilgate Mansion, demolished in the 1950s,[8] but in 1830 a villa-style house was built in the grounds just west of the Brighton Road.

[3] Broadfield House, which was decorated in the Greek Revival style inside, had bow-fronted façades and a columned verandah facing a lake.

[9] For many years, the building—large, surrounded by parkland and in a semi-rural setting—was used as a hotel and country club,[11] as Crawley developed into a slowly growing, prosperous small town.

In 1945, as soon as World War II ended, government ministers and regional planning committees began to address the problem of London-centric living and employment.

[14] Architect Sir Thomas Bennett was appointed chairman of the committee of financial officers, engineers, technicians, surveyors and other professionals.

[19] Broadfield House was converted into offices for Crawley Urban District Council, the local authority created in 1956 to govern the town.